deep south roadtrip

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Trustmeimadoctor

Original Poster:

12,525 posts

154 months

Wednesday 26th August 2015
quotequote all
just booked tickets to atlanta for june next year. Planning on doing a road trip going the basic route of
atlanta, mobile, new orleans, lafayette, natchez trail, memphis, nashvile, pigeon forge (DollyWood), chatanooga, atlanta.

so after info on must do sights and activities that we must do another places that we should visit. Also recomendation for a car type would be good for a trip like this. oh and any great places to stay especially any really nice cabins in the smokey mountains!

cheers for any help


Trustmeimadoctor

Original Poster:

12,525 posts

154 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
anyone ?

JuniorD

8,616 posts

222 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
Trustmeimadoctor said:
just booked tickets to atlanta for june next year. Planning on doing a road trip going the basic route of
atlanta, mobile, new orleans, lafayette, natchez trail, memphis, nashvile, pigeon forge (DollyWood), chatanooga, atlanta.

so after info on must do sights and activities that we must do another places that we should visit. Also recomendation for a car type would be good for a trip like this. oh and any great places to stay especially any really nice cabins in the smokey mountains!

cheers for any help
I've driven Atlanta, Mobile and New Orelans back in 1997. My memories include: the rental car guy in Atlanta fitting hubcabs and taking off all the rental stickers as he advised it's best not to look like a tourist down there; getting pulled over by Chips on the freeway and being treated like we'd defiled his mother; New Orleans being fairly threatening and seeing a guy getting shot; and buying a t-shirt in a shop in Mobile called Boo Radleys.

C997

529 posts

165 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
Trustmeimadoctor said:
just booked tickets to atlanta for june next year. Planning on doing a road trip going the basic route of
atlanta, mobile, new orleans, lafayette, natchez trail, memphis, nashvile, pigeon forge (DollyWood), chatanooga, atlanta.

so after info on must do sights and activities that we must do another places that we should visit. Also recomendation for a car type would be good for a trip like this. oh and any great places to stay especially any really nice cabins in the smokey mountains!

cheers for any help
Did 5500 miles a couple of years back covering some of the places on your route.

Started in Key West and headed North through Atlanta to Nashville (Grand Ole Opre and downtown were good). Memphis - Graceland, Beale Street and Sun Studios, which was by far the best. New Orleans, lots of obvious stuff to see here but try the World War 2 Museum, the Imax movie narrated by Tom Hanks is just incredible, it will bother you!

I then did Dallas, the book repository etc. Dallas is a horrible, soulless place. Amarillo, the Cadillac Ranch. From there I went Santa Fe (fantastic place), Pikes Peak (the Mustangs brakes didn't like coming down!), Denver, Mount Evans, Aspen, Grand Junction and Vegas.

Best holiday ever!!

Have fun, I'll certainly do another one.



Trustmeimadoctor

Original Poster:

12,525 posts

154 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
quotequote all
JuniorD said:
Trustmeimadoctor said:
just booked tickets to atlanta for june next year. Planning on doing a road trip going the basic route of
atlanta, mobile, new orleans, lafayette, natchez trail, memphis, nashvile, pigeon forge (DollyWood), chatanooga, atlanta.

so after info on must do sights and activities that we must do another places that we should visit. Also recomendation for a car type would be good for a trip like this. oh and any great places to stay especially any really nice cabins in the smokey mountains!

cheers for any help
I've driven Atlanta, Mobile and New Orelans back in 1997. My memories include: the rental car guy in Atlanta fitting hubcabs and taking off all the rental stickers as he advised it's best not to look like a tourist down there; getting pulled over by Chips on the freeway and being treated like we'd defiled his mother; New Orleans being fairly threatening and seeing a guy getting shot; and buying a t-shirt in a shop in Mobile called Boo Radleys.
sounds like a laugh then! so telling momma jokes to the cops doesn't go down too well?

HD Adam

5,143 posts

183 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
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I've not done that route in one but have done some of it.

Atlanta to Tennessee.

We flew into Atlanta where there's a few good things to do. The Olympic park is nice and we also did the CNN tour.

Atlanta to Memphis takes you through Alabama where you virtually go past Talladega Raceway on the I-20 so stop off at the museum and do a track tour.

When you get to Birmingham, take the 78 which goes through Tupelo where you can go by the house that Elvis was born and then straight into Memphis.

Graceland, Sun Studios, Stax Museum, Gibson Guitar factory, Beale Street, Peabody Hotel, Martin Luther King Museum and if you fancy a bit of a singalong, Al Green preaches at a church there on a Sunday.

We had a few days there doing all the touristy things then went up to Nashville for a bit then across the Smoky Mountains to South Carolina and had a week in Myrtle Beach before going back to Atlanta.

It's a pretty straight shot (although long) to New Orleans but good fun.



Edited by HD Adam on Thursday 27th August 18:01

ViperDave

5,520 posts

252 months

Thursday 27th August 2015
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An interesting trip, I'm sure there will be more comments on NOLA so I'll stick enjoy the French Qtr, Don't expect a shiny new downtown, its old and battered and it shows, probably one of the most run down places in the USA i have been and that includes Detroit. Having said that NOLA and particularly the french Qtr is run down in a nice/historic way, then there are bits that are just hard to maintain in that kind of environment, before you get to and not far away if you take the wrong turn is GTFOH territory. the latter, likewise probably one of the few places in the USA i truly thought my safety was at risk. You will enjoy it though, make sure you do the french Qtr in the day as well as night as its literately a night and day experience.

Heading up the Mississippi to Natches, Don't expect much from the town, it has some nice old buildings/churches in downtown, but most of the towns around here do, but it isn't the liveliest of towns, about as polar opposite as you can get from NOLA. There is a small road that drops off from the downtown area down to the casino paddle steamer, you can get some nice views/photos of the steamer with the bridge in the background.

Driving the Natchez trail I didn't really know what to expect and to be fair didn't know we were going to drive it until we turned onto it. Its nothing special, Its similar to the blue ridge pkwy with limited development, junctions etc, but doesn't have the mountains and views, More of a drive in the trees, nice and green and well kept, and the section out of Natches was pretty quiet, where as the bit that skips around Jackson was busier as its a bit of a Jackson bypass to get between the I20 and I55. I will admit though we didn't stop at any side exhibits (personal reasons)

we did drop off the trail an headed up to Vicksburg which is another bridge across the Mississippi town quite a quaint downtowm and they have a small park with the "The Widow Blakely" canon overlooking the river.

Memphis, there are some stty bits out by the airport after all its Americas distribution center and we only had one night, but felt quite safe(ish) walking around the downtown river front doing night photography. We didn't get to Graceland for the same reason we didn't stop on the trail though.

We carried on to St Louis from here rather than our initial plan to Nashville with a plan for the National corvette museum and plant tour at Bowling green and nearby Mammoth Caves NP, if you make it there, come back and tell us what its like.

I can skip to another trip 10 yrs or so ago and pick you back up in Pigeon Forge. PF was USA blackpool about 10 years ago, god knows how bad it is now! Cant comment on dolly world, as it opened for the season the day were were there, but we did get to see the grand opening parade through town complete with Dolly herself, The smokies are kind of difficult by road, other than the main road over the top and a couple of scenic drives, but you also need to google "tail of the dragon".

For Chattanooga look up ruby falls, its a cave system complete with underground waterfall.

Nb we didn't have any problems with the locals, or lost members of CHiPs on vacation from California, although I did get followed by a NC highway patrol who pulled out behind me and became my shadow for about 20 miles through several towns and turns etc, Ended up pulling into a gas station to force his hand to either bugger off or come for a chat, he opted to bugger off and follow someone else and i decided i didn't fancy the price of gas after all, but this was out in coastal NC rather than the mountains, but then in all of this part of the USA they have a curtain character (is that PC enough?)



Trustmeimadoctor

Original Poster:

12,525 posts

154 months

Friday 28th August 2015
quotequote all
great info thanks so far my must do's are ww2 museum, uss Alabama, Avery Island for the Tabasco factory so far but im sure the list will grow.

im thinking i may be better staying away from a flashy car and maybe trying to get a pickup with gun rack and airhorn that plays Dixie smile

ViperDave

5,520 posts

252 months

Friday 28th August 2015
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Nah you'll be fine, we did the last trip in a brand new suv with Rhode Island plates, yeah it stood out when we took a wrong turn in new Orleans but that was the only real dodgy bit. The residents of the south may sound a bit funny and yeah there are dodgy ones the same as anywhere, but we spent a lot longer in Kentucky than intended and were interacting with lots of people well off the tourist trail and i have not met anyone anywhere more friendly, helpful and willing to go out of their way to look after a couple of Brits in a bind.

Edited by ViperDave on Friday 28th August 12:10

HD Adam

5,143 posts

183 months

Friday 28th August 2015
quotequote all
It's always tempting to have some kind of cool car for the trip but invariably, your best bet is to get the biggest SUV you can afford to rent (Chevy Suburban etc) because they are super comfy for the miles and swallow up all the bags you carry.

if you must get one of the modern muscle cars, the Dodge Challenger has the biggest boot/most room.

The jiffle king

6,894 posts

257 months

Monday 31st August 2015
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I've recently moved to just North of Atlanta and it's a great place to live, but I'm less convinced about why people would visit, so your road trip idea is a good one.
Atlanta - World of Coca Cola, go shopping at Buckhead, visit Stone Mountain and walk up and then see the lights show afterwards. Worth visiting Kennesaw to see a key Civil war location and they often have reenactments. If you fancy a couple of days sailing or doing water activities, Lake Lanier is good and there is the silver comet trail for walking/cycling. ON Saturday next week, I'm going to a rodeo which will be great fun I hope

I've not travelled too much further, but did go to Dallas and whilst it is a little soulless, the 6th floor School book depository museum is fantastic and you can stand on the grassy Knowl which was great. Outside of Dallas, Fort Worth and the stockyards are worth a visit. You'll see plenty of custom bikes and there is a rodeo every weekend.

I did drive from Miami to Atlanta a couple of weeks ago after a flight was cancelled and it's just shy of 700 miles. On the way, I passed Cape Canaveral, Daytona Beach and lots of other places I had heard of.

I've not been to New Orleans yet, but have heard good things about it.

As for the car..... A dodge challenger would be good, but I would get something with power but that does not draw too much attention to itself and you. You will be cruising for miles and you need comfort. If you want a Dodge charger, make sure you get the 2 door version or you will be disappointed. (The interiors are not great)




Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Monday 31st August 2015
quotequote all
The jiffle king said:
As for the car..... A dodge challenger would be good, but I would get something with power but that does not draw too much attention to itself and you. You will be cruising for miles and you need comfort. If you want a Dodge charger, make sure you get the 2 door version or you will be disappointed. (The interiors are not great)


Not sure what you are referring to here. There is no such car as a 2 door Charger, unless you go back in time - and the interiors are REALLY good on current Challenger/Charger/300/300 Chryslers.

The jiffle king

6,894 posts

257 months

Monday 31st August 2015
quotequote all
Matt Harper said:
Not sure what you are referring to here. There is no such car as a 2 door Charger, unless you go back in time - and the interiors are REALLY good on current Challenger/Charger/300/300 Chryslers.
Sorry, I was getting mixed up between challenger and charger in terms of doors. I have been in the current Charger and it felt very uninspiring. The seats are good, but the dashboard felt very dull in my opinion, although I have seen pictures of some which are good, but I was probably looking for a more retro look and it felt a bit boring to me

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Monday 31st August 2015
quotequote all
The jiffle king said:
Sorry, I was getting mixed up between challenger and charger in terms of doors. I have been in the current Charger and it felt very uninspiring. The seats are good, but the dashboard felt very dull in my opinion, although I have seen pictures of some which are good, but I was probably looking for a more retro look and it felt a bit boring to me
Fair enough and subjective, I suppose, but they went from this:


to this:


The overall ergonomics, the quality and functionality of the U-Connect system and that of the leather, plastics and metallic elements are all improved, by general consensus.